The Urge to Belong
by lamiapupa
Summary: This is a Severus Snape X Remus Lupin fic. First chapter of a series called "The Animal Rites". Severus is taken aback when Remus agrees to enter an ownership ritual with him. Very graphic, very descriptive, be warned.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Well, if you live on planet Earth, you know that obviously since my name is not JK Rowling I do not own Harry Potter and its characters, I merely have my merry little way with them once in a while and gain no profit whatsoever out of it.

**Warnings: **Now, this series will contain a lot of VERY graphic and sometimes VERY negatively charged sex. This has been deemed a mature read for a reason people! Please don't read this if you don't like pain, humiliation, rough sex, multiple sex partners, master and servant relationships and mild swearing.

For those of you who are still here, know that this fic also contains different degrees of crossdressing, a slightly OOC Severus (otherwise the fic wouldn't work!), sex-toys, mild BM and nail polish.

Enjoy yourselves and please REVIEW, this is an ongoing work, if you like it and you want more, please tell me about it for I tend to grow unmotivated easily without any feedback (I know this is bribery, but hey I'm running low on chocolate cookies and reviews are the next best thing…!).

**The Urge to Belong**

Severus spread his legs a bit more over the toilet seat and applied another shaving charm under his balls running his hands around them to feel if he'd missed a spot he couldn't see. Smooth, no hair could be felt. He angled his wand one more time and applied another charm, just to be sure, and ran his hands lower to his arsehole. He felt ashamed at his own carelessness when he touched around the small nub with a long finger and felt that it was starting to grow hair again. Taking a deep breath he started spelling it hair free, cursing internally at the end of the year and its busy schedule that had kept him grounded, correcting the students' tests and essays, preventing him from keeping up with his personal care.

No matter, he thought, the little devils were out of his hair again for another blissful summer and he couldn't for the life in him see a better way to start enjoying his holidays than a full grooming, something he'd been too busy to attend to. He ran his hands over his hole again and moaned at the smooth silky feeling it gave him this time. He couldn't help himself and giving in he dipped a fingertip inside it, probing and wriggling it around, trying to find his prostate in the awkward angle he found himself in, perched over the toilet sit. He was able to brush it lightly with a deeper prod and moaned, spreading his long legs even wider. Sparing a glance at the bathroom mirror he saw himself naked and panting, completely open to his own ministrations and moaned again, he felt pathetic, but this was too good to stop now. He let go of his wand and lowered his hand to his aching cock, pleased by the complete smoothness he found there as well, no hair impairing his tugging and pulling at it.

Taking a deep breath he held firmly at the base of the member, cutting off a bit of circulation, tightening his hand like a cock ring. He kept pressuring the base as he added another finger into his arse, starting to think now that instead of fingers they were something much thicker and warmer then that. He pictured a big meaty cock ripping him open at the same time as strong masculine hands grabbed him by the hair and lowered him to the ground, leaving him helpless with his arse high in the air to be fucked raw by the cock filling him. The hands would hold his shoulders down with bruising strength, and leave his cock hanging from his body to thrust against the air, unattended.

He fantasized of the body behind the cock, something big, strong and hairy brushing against his back leaving a trail of pungent male sweat that would overwhelm him and make him submissive to the other man's every whim. He could feel a warm wet mouth licking at his abused shoulder, in an uncharacteristic act of tenderness right before strong merciless teeth bit against his pliant unsuspecting flesh, drawing blood and to his disappointment ripping the orgasm out of his frenzied body shattering the illusion and bringing him brutally back to his cold and empty bathroom. He looked down at his flagging dick and felt repulsed by himself. "Useless think" he said to it, slapping it once and holding back the pained moan he'd been about to voice out. He'd been holding it so tightly and even then he'd come, stupid, useless thing, he repeated to himself, not even taking the time to enjoy the languidness his hasty climax had brought him. "If I had someone to tell me to hold back…" he stopped that line of thought before he went too far, "Get a grip Severus, as if you'd ever get to have a decent master for a change…"

He reigned in his desire with disappointment, making himself think of his previous Master and all the suffering he'd been through to get rid of the abusive prat. Scourgifying himself a few times he went about his business, analyzing his whole body again with clinic eye and focusing on hair removal from tip to toe. It was hours before he pronounced himself finished and cursed again at the time it took, it wouldn't have taken so long if he'd had a little time every now and then, but the end of term…

He stopped his train of thought _again_, it was useless, the term was over and done with and he could tend to himself as much as he wanted now. Sighing contentedly Severus stepped under the shower and proceeded to wash his hair squeaky clean, happy to be away from the noxious fumes the students created over their un-experienced caldrons. By the time he was ready he felt much, much better, sparing another glace at the mirror to spell his hair dry he left the bathroom and went directly to his dressing room. In a dark hidden corner he opened a notice-me-not spelled chest of drawers and removed a few pieces of clothing he then brought to his room. Sitting over the bed he got first the pair of lacy knickers and held back the pleasurable goose flesh he felt at finally dressing them again after so long.

He put it aside for a moment and reached for his bedside table removing a thin jeweled butt plug made of gold. It had been the only useful present Lucius Malfoy had left him with after so many years of torture by their Master's hands. He spelled a little bit of lube around it and slid it inside his arse, moaning at the cold metallic feel as it brushed softly against his prostate. The plug had been custom made for Severus and it was small enough for long term use, the onix on the lower end was the only thing showing once the plug was fully inside. Once adjusted Severus looked down on the knickers again, this pair was red, a colour he found out, much to his chagrin, that complimented his skin very nicely and made it glow in pleasant white paleness, not the yellowed sickly hue it was given when he wore black. Next came the pantyhose, this pair didn't require garters since it ended up high on his tights with a beautiful lacy edge that stretched and was spelled to hold in place, no matter what.

Taking a deep breath and feeling his cock already filling again in the tight confines of his knickers, he turned to put on the beautiful silk and lace corset that hugged his chest with a simple flick of his wand and adjusted it tightly so he had a little trouble breathing if he moved around much. He moaned at the lovely feeling and held back the urge to touch his now fully engorged cock again. No, he decided, he had work to do, many potions to attend to and he knew the reason why his work came out so perfect during his holiday period. It had nothing to do with extra time so much as with the extra accessories he wore under his brewing robes.

Making a final stop in front of the mirror to tie his hair back, he chose a red silky thread since he knew nobody would be coming down to the dungeons today, so early in the holidays that all the teachers would be treasuring their free time too much to plague themselves with his company. His eyes fell on the leather dog collar lying on his vanity and he sighed painfully, holding his hands back, making a conscious effort not to touch it longingly. He admired the black leather and gold latch until his cock ached with the need to submit to somebody else's desire. Severus closed his eyes for a moment and pictured his dream lover again, the strong compact body towering over his kneeling form, his own hands caressing the hairy masculine legs by his order, a slap to the face and his willing submission, taking the big cock into his mouth, sucking on it hungrily, looking up at golden eyes that shone with desire and wild possessiveness… "Remus…" he whispered and thrust his hips forward, upsetting the trinkets over the vanity, coming back from his daydream as abruptly as he'd gone into it.

Swearing, he reached down of a bit of kohl that had fallen from his open purse and decided to smudge a bit around his eyes. He didn't wear makeup very often, but today he needed to feel pretty, mostly because he desperately wanted to fool himself into thinking that his solitude was self imposed and not society's way of telling him he was an ugly hateful bastard with no chance whatsoever of getting what he so desperately wanted, to feel cherished and desired by somebody. After a moment he lowered the kohl and looked himself at the mirror, holding back frustrated tears when his eyes got attracted directly to his beaky nose, not even noticing the recently painted eyes. He dropped the kohl back into his makeup purse and left the room, sending a pulse of raw magic at the mirror that shattered spreading glass all over the vanity and the floor.

He couldn't care less, picking up his brewing robes from the peg by the office door he went into is lab, decided to focus into other things that not his pathetic love live or his desperate need for submission at the hands of another. It was a few hours latter that Severus was roused from the pleasant trance-like state brewing potions induced on him. It took him a few minutes to recognize that the distant sound he was hearing in the background was actually somebody knocking on his door and it took another few minutes for him to realise that if he didn't go out there and answer it the sound would keep coming. Sighing, or at least trying to, since the corset around his chest prevented him from taking too deep a breath, he took measured steps in the bright heels he'd been wearing to open the door to his outer office. To get there he had to cross the lab and the office, so as he un-warded and opened the bloody door he was discreetly trying to gain his breath back. To his complete despair, Remus Bloody Lupin was standing as his threshold, hand raised and poised for another knock when Severus opened.

"Lupin" he muttered, trying to sound irritated as the air left him for a completely different reason than that of the corset constricting his chest. "What do you want? It's my first day free from those brainless little bastards they call students and you're already here littering my doorstep!" he had to take a succession of short quick breaths after his outburst, and shift a little to accommodate his bursting cock inside the tight knickers, all the time mindful not to reveal the bright red shoes he was wearing under his long black robes.

Lupin for some reason seemed taken aback for a moment and Severus feared he'd revealed himself in some way, but he calmed down when the other man kept his cool and answered, "I'm awfully sorry to be bothering you so early in the summer Severus, but as you might already know, Albus has approached me again about a teaching position here at Hogwarts and he _suggested_ as a condition a trial period, I'm to live here from the summer on, taking the Wolfsbane potion until the term starts again, I'm sure Albus talked to you about it" Lupin looked utterly innocent, but Severus cursed him under his breath. Yes Albus had talked to him about it and in his haste to enter his own blessed little world Severus had forgotten all about it! Now here he was with Lupin standing at his door, fully expecting an invitation to enter and discuss the details of the endeavor as Albus had told him he would. Dreading the next half hour Severus stepped aside carefully and barked something for Lupin to come in. "Sit down Lupin and don't expect me to offer you tea and cookies for I won't"

The other man did so, but said nothing for a while seeing that Severus remained standing. "Aren't _you _going to sit down Severus? This is your office after all" he said with an infuriating smile.

Severus stiffened and looked down at his own chair. He couldn't for the life in him think of a good excuse not to sit, apart from the truth, which was too ludicrous to share, so dreading his own reaction he slowly lowered himself to the chair and moaned feeling the butt plug lodged inside of him slid a bit further and causing his suffering cock to jerk inside the knickers. He was so hard by now that the tip of his cock had found its way out of the elastic band and lay flat against his belly squeezed against it, leaking come over the red lace. Carefully Severus spread his legs a bit, so focused on not creaming himself in front of Lupin he completely forgot that sitting, the hem of his long robes came up and that now the pair of shiny red heels he wore was completely revealed to Lupin's eyes. Still, the man seemed oblivious, he started talking, but Severus had no idea what his words were, so lost in his own predicament as he was.

Suddenly, he felt a hand brush against the nape of his neck, and he jolted, causing himself to move that last bit towards orgasm thus creaming himself with a long breathy moan "Remus…" and the man in question took that moment to grab the silk tying his hair back and muttered "Red Severus?" right on his ear. "Isn't that too Gryffindor for you?"

Severus was beyond himself with shame. He had no idea what to do now. Not only had he come in front of a completely unsuspecting person (_Lupin_ for Melin's sake!), said person was the sole object of his desire and now they knew it because he'd just whispered their given name upon coming. He felt the acute need for air and fought for it in laboured needy pants as Lupin moved around his chair, he hadn't even seen the man stand from his seat!

The werewolf towered over him, standing in front of his chair and looking down on Severus. Then, he did the unimaginable and with a quick movement of his hands he was holding his cock, completely hard, close to Severus face and spoke in a cold commanding voice, "I don't care what's impairing your breathing Severus but you'll suck on my cock like you mean it and when I'm done, I'll see what I'll do about you"

Feeling a spark of desire run through him despite the absurdity of the situation Severus took a moment to admire Lupin's cock. It was fully erect and it was not big, it was huge, much thicker than in Severus wildest dreams and for a moment he thought if it had to do with the lycanthropy or if the Lupin family was just very well endowed. He didn't reach any conclusion though, since at that moment Remus started rubbing the tip against his face, smearing it with pre-come. Finally he held it against Severus mouth and shoved it inside with one long brutal movement, holding Severus head by the hair and muttering, "Careful with the teeth or I'll come for you on the full moon without any Wolfsbane".

Severus didn't nod, he was focusing all his being on not choking to death over Lupin's cock. Opening his mouth wide he felt the other man thrust his log forward until it hit the back if his throat and he gagged. Lupin didn't pay any attention to that though and he said so grabbing by Severus hair tighter and holding him down on the shaft, "I don't care for gagging Severus and I don't wait for my bitches to get used to my cock do you hear me?"

Severus moaned and felt his cock try to stir pitifully at being called a bitch. He swallowed around Lupin's cock and opened his mouth wider, trying to relax his throat for the man's next assault. To his amazement, it worked, and the log slid past his throat and further still, bending a bit down to enter fully into his mouth. Looking up he saw Lupin holding his wand in hand, the man had just spelled him reflex-free, even so his breathing was laboured and since his nose was having trouble bringing air down to his constricted lungs he soon started seeing black spots around his eyes.

Seeing, or maybe feeling, his air-headedness Lupin pulled his hair more roughly and said, "You'd better swallow Severus, or else". He rammed his cock down Severus throat once more, this time with such force Severus felt the hairy balls slapping his chin and started spurting an inordinate amount of come down his throat. The thick liquid coated Severus throat and mouth and soon started dribbling out even as he worked frantically to swallow it all.

Once Lupin's cock started flagging he pulled it out but didn't put it back into his pants, simply letting his brown tattered robes fall over it. "I told you to swallow it Severus, all of it but you still have some on you face, why is that?" he demanded, pulling Severus' head up to look at him.

Severus moaned with need and begged, "Please… I'm sorry, please punish me…" His words were merely breathed out, but Lupin seemed to have heard them all. He smiled a feral smile and slapped Severus face a few times, leaving the cheeks red and swollen. "You look good with a blush Severus" he said, admiring his own works for a moment and when Severus sobbed and thanked him for it he unwound his hands from his hair, shaking out the large black tufts that came with them and ran his hands on Severus abused scalp soothingly this time. The man kneeled in front of Severus' shocked face and whispered secretively, "I didn't mean to scare you Severus, I can be a tad rough when it comes to sex and I just couldn't help myself. Once I smelled your seed, the wolf just went crazy…"

"Smelled?" Severus repeated shocked. His mind refused to wrap itself around the situation. He was happy yes and sated, but still he didn't understand how Lupin had come to him and given him exactly what he needed at the moment. Then he felt his body engulfed by despair at the thought that for Lupin this might have been just a quick fuck and a way to ensure he had bribing material against him. He'd seen him with lingerie after all.

"Severus?" Lupin now sounded scared, "Severus please tell me… tell me you dressed up like this for me, tell me I didn't make a mistake!" He shook Severus lightly by the shoulders, his face betraying the stress and confusion he was undergoing himself.

Seeing Lupin's panic seemed to bring Severus out of the lust induced stupor and self pity and caused him to regain his senses, "Lupin, no I didn't _dress up _like this for you" he said mockingly and Remus let go of his shoulders as if he'd been burned, "However" Severus said forcefully, not giving time for Lupin to start apologizing, "I think this misunderstanding has revealed quite a bit about ourselves and I see it in our best interests to talk it out, lest something interesting or gruesome come out of it"

Remus seemed to calm down a bit at Severus' renewed stream of words. He sat back down on his chair and looked intently at the other man as if waiting for answers. "First of all, I want to get something clear. You did not force yourself on me as you seemed to imply, any pleasure you might have reaped from my body was given willingly I… I seem to have desire for you and I enjoyed your forcefulness _quite_ a bit" he looked down at his red nails and flushed, Lupin must think him a freak, he'd forgotten all about them.

"I desire you as well Severus, very much but before you continue I… I have something to tell you. This "forcefulness" as you put it was not an isolated event. When it comes to sex, the wolf and I… well… I behave much more instinctually than most people and not only close to the full moon, sex with me is usually rather… _extreme_ to say the least"

Severus let a low moan come out, despite his better judgment and flushed when Lupin looked up at him, surprised. "I… thought as much" he cleared his throat seeing Lupin's surprised and marginally offended face and tried again, "I mean I… fantasized about it"

"You fantasized about me being rough with you?" Lupin sounded scandalized for a moment but then he smiled and sounded pleased, "Have got a submission fetish on you Severus?"

Severus smiled and decided it was now or never, so he stood up and started unbuttoning his robes, "You've got no idea" he told Lupin at the same time as his robes fell down to the floor.

Lupin panted and growled like an animal taking his once again erect cock in hand as soon as Severus was disrobed. "By Merlin Severus, you look hot" he stepped toward him and touched the bit of come ruined lace on Severus knickers, "Do you walk around wearing that all year around?"

"Not really… I… I get too nervous if I do. You saw me earlier, I'm afraid to act like that in front of Albus and then what? I'd get fired for being a pervert" He snorted and led Lupin's hand further down, cupping his spent cock with them. "I've already came twice today, I doubt I'd be able to lift it up again… but you look ready to go" he pointed down at Lupin's cock poking out of his open robes. "Would you mind… I mean… would you like to… f… fuck me?" Severus felt horrible asking for this, he knew he was not an attractive person by any means and he'd already sucked on Lupin's cock, a dream he'd never thought might come true. A real fuck with the man of his dreams was too much to get through with even in fantasy, let alone the real thing.

Lupin seemed surprised, "Why are you even asking? Severus, after all this talk I'd mind very much _not_ fucking you!"

Severus let go of his held breath and started removing his knickers but Lupin put a hand over his and Severus shivered watching how the brown hairs grew thick on the back of it, he could only imagine how Lupin's chest would look like. "Not here Severus, if we're doing this, can't we at least do it in bed?"

Severus nodded, he'd agree to anything by now to have Lupin's meaty log buried deep inside his arse. He led the other man through a hidden passage behind a bookshelf, into a steep tunnel and then into his rooms on the first floor. He had no time to remove his underwear because as soon as the door had been closed behind them, Lupin the werewolf was back and pressing him against the nearest wall. He downed his mouth on Severus' scratching him with the rough stub on his chin and upper lip, his tongue thrust through Severus' lips tangling with his, clumsy with desire, caressing it with sure measured strokes, drinking from Severus mouth, extracting his pleasure from it.

Once he let go Severus' eyes were going black again, the corset plus the pressure of Lupin's body pressing against him and he was panting desperately. Lupin seeing that fished his wand from Merlin knew where and spelled him corset free, exclaiming at his pierced nipples, sucking and chewing on them mercilessly until Severus was crying in pain, begging him to stop. Lupin did so, releasing one bloody nipple with a final tug on the gold stud hanging from it, and lifting Severus in his arms, throwing him unceremoniously over the bed.

Severus landed on his back, knees bent and legs spread, leaving his genitals protected from Lupin's hungry eyes only by the lacy knickers which were shredded as soon as the man reached the bed, he growled in pleasure at the sight, "Like to feel naked huh Severus, been shaving yourself lately?" He asked, dragging a finger from Severus' balls to his arse, where he found the plug still deeply imbibed. Lupin fingered the plug speculatively once, but left it there deciding that he'd explore other parts of Severus body for now. He touched the shriveled penis and licked around the circumcised head a few times, enjoying Severus' tortured moans at not being able to react further to the caress. He dipped lower and started licking between Severus' balls when his tongue touched something hard and cold. Surprised he pulled his head back and spread the ball's aside, gasping at the sight of a magical jewel pierced deep into Severus' tender flesh. He licked at the jewel, feeling its magic on his tongue and growled at Severus' pleasured whine. Deciding not to ask, at least for now, he proceeded on his exploration, leaving the man's genitals alone for now he went to worry one ringed ear chewing on the flesh he whispered, "I'm about to claim you Severus, once my cock is inside you and my seed is coating your insides you'll be mine and I want nothing that doesn't belong to me marking your body. Is any of these jewels and markings that you wear a sign of another's ownership of you?" He pointed at the tattoos and piercings scattered over his body.

Severus took a moment to register the words but as soon as he'd deciphered them he shook the lust out of his eyes and presented his left arm, ashamed. Remus recognized at once the scars left by the faded Dark Mark, remembrance of the late Voldemort's legacy. He looked down at Severus eyes as a warning and said "You will not trash, you will bare this down as it befits you"

Severus felt his heart thud painfully inside his chest, dreading and anticipating what was to come in equal measures. He was caught unprepared when Remus bared his teeth and with a swift vicious movement _bit _the scar out of Severus arm. No pain had ever compared to that, except perhaps the Cruciatus curse but on a completely different level. He registered numbly that Remus' order said nothing about screaming and let his voice out screaming his throat raw as he remained completely motionless, fighting his body's urge to shove the werewolf away from him and cradle his aching arm close to his body.

He watched as Lupin spat the marked flesh out and proceeded to lick Severus' wound thoroughly, until through some spell Severus didn't see him cast, no more blood came out of it, even if the gash still looked fresh and raw. Once he was finished he flipped Severus over as if he was made of paper and after a few moments when he was probably disrobing himself he came back to the bed, kneeling behind his prone form. "Relax" he ordered as Severus felt him push the butt plug out and just as swiftly press his own un-lubed shaft against his arse. Lupin's strong hands were crushing his waist in their strong hold and after an excruciating moment Severus felt the hot fiery burn of being dry fucked by a shaft as thick as a centaur's.

He sobbed, feeling a bit of blood come up from his abused throat and then he moaned thrusting back against the man, wanting to feel his balls slapping against his arse. Lupin seemed to understand his need then and pushed until not an inch of his cock was left out of Severus arse. He ruled his desire to fuck the other man raw against the mattress, and waited inside of him for a long moment, basking in the heat and the twitching spasms Severus didn't seem able to control.

"Home" Severus whispered and at that moment Remus felt a bit of his soul lost to the man around him, he moaned and agreed, "Yes Severus, I'm making you my home" Severus moaned and squeezed around him and Remus took that as permission to start thrusting. He adjusted himself over Severus body, covering him from the tip of his head to the tip of his toes, mounting him like a dog would on a bitch in heat. He started thrusting shallowly, slow at first, but then building up his pace. He stayed like that for a long time, hearing Severus' painful desperate moans asking for more in a strangled ruined voice, until his tongue lolled out like a dog's and he found Severus' neck, slick with sweat. He started licking at it, licking, licking and licking until he was sure the skin there was too sensitive to bear much longer and then he dug his teeth into it, biting much like he'd bit the arm earlier, drawing blood but not enough to tear the skin out.

Severus wheezed, his voice long since gone for him to be able to scream properly and he asked for more, more, more… Remus let the neck wound alone for now, enjoying the taste of Severus blood in his mouth he decided it was time to claim his bitch. He pulled up, kneeling behind Severus again, and changed his thrusting from fast and shallow to brutal and deep. He watched his cock come completely out of Severus arsehole only to thrust it back in balls deep into the man. It was mere moments until he came like this, buried deeply into Severus' channel, shooting his seed into him and coating his bowels. Finally, when no seed came out anymore and his cock was starting to shrink, he reached for the gold plug he'd removed earlier and pressed it back up into Severus' arse. "This is for you to keep every last drop of my seed inside of you"

Severus nodded stiffly, feeling the pain on his wounded neck. "I know you're in pain Severus, but there is one more thing I need to do before we're finished, turn around and show me your neck" Severus did so, Lupin knelled and licked his neck again until the blood stopped coming out, "Now turn around and show me your cock" Again, he obeyed and was somewhat taken aback when Lupin held his cock over his genitals and started pissing on them. He pissed on his cock, on his balls and around his arse and when he was finished he stooped to rub the piss on the skin some more until it was dry.

When that was finished he moved up and started to piss on Severus face, rubbing it again all around his eyes, his cheeks, his forehead and finally he ordered him to open his mouth and to swallow the last bit. Severus did so, feeling disgusted and thrilled at the same time. By the time Lupin pronounced them to be finished Severus felt his stomach drop to his feet, he'd just swallowed the piss of a man who was about to leave him. He felt vulnerable and exposed and ridiculous and was about to lash something out when Lupin lay down beside him and snaked his furry arms around his waist, holding him close.

Lupin must have felt his tense muscles because after a few moments he held him closer and whispered, "You have no idea what I've just done to you, have you Severus?"

The man in question was about to say something humiliating to save face and avoid answering that in fact no, he had not idea about what had just happened from the moment Lupin had entered his quarters till just now, but the werewolf beat him to it. "I've just claimed and marked you as my sexual partner" he paused a moment and he said, "You've become my bitch so to speak. It means… well it means I'll want to stick around for a while" Lupin gave a somewhat shy lopsided smile.

Severus felt hot with desire inside at Lupin's words, but outside he held himself together and said, "What gives you the right to…"

"You did Severus, when you answered to me the way you did by presenting me the only mark on your body that has been put there by someone else, not to mention all these marks you have" he pointed to Severus' several tattoo's and piercings, "they tell me all about your need to be owned and marked by someone else" Lupin looked down at him and smiled, "And if they hadn't, the dog collar lying on your vanity would had been a dead give away".

Severus tensed a bit more in Remus' arms, "You're not disgusted by that?" He asked, dreading the answer and its repercussions.

"Disgusted? I'm turned on by it" Remus caressed Severus' whole arm and kissed the wild flower pattern etched on it. He said nothing for a while just touching and enjoying Severus warm body. Then he grabbed his wand and spelled the other arm clean and wrapped in gauze. "You cannot spell this Severus, it has to heal the natural way" he said, conjuring a sling to rest the arm in.

"Thank you" Severus murmured, finally able to move the damaged limb again. "We should discuss the topic you came here to discuss in the first place" he was testing the waters and felt relieved to see that Remus abandoned the domineering persona once the sex was over, "Yes", he answered. "Actually… I was about to say before, if you're too busy with your personal projects to brew the wolfsbane for me I can ask Albus to find another brewer"

Severus waved his good hand at Remus, "Nonsense, it's not like I can't multitask"

"With wolfsbane?" Remus said surprised.

"I _am _a Potions Master, aren't I?" Severus sounded a bit irritated but he turned around and ran his hand over Remus' lower lip once showing he wasn't really. "Now that that has been dealt with, I want to know how we are going to go about this" and he pointed at Remus and himself.

"How would you like to go about it?" Remus gave the question back and Severus felt uncomfortable.

"I…"

"Would you wear that dog collar for me?" Remus asked, having mercy of Severus.

"Merlin yes!" Severus answered at once jumping from the bed and grabbing the collar on the vanity shaking it free of glass shards he brought it to Remus with trembling fingers and waited for him to take it.

Remus held the collar in his hands and examined it before fingering the latch. The collar was made of plain black leather, but the latch was gold. On the outside it looked like a common collar for a big dog, but holding it in his hands Remus could feel the ownership magic coursing through it. He looked at Severus eyes and noticed that the man was kneeling on the floor before the bed, his eyes closed, face held in an expression of expectancy. "You do know what this means, don't you Severus? Once I put this collar around your neck we'll have set the Animal Rites into motion, I want to know if you really want to go through this with me"

Severus opened his eyes and seemed to have sobered up completely. "I know what it means Remus, I was part of the Rites with another master once, it was what made me crave for dominance like I do until today"

"I will not treat you like your previous master Severus and I will not enter the Rites and be compared to him" Remus answered very seriously, holding Severus eyes with his.

"I know. That is not what I meant, I have no desire to be a pet to that kind of master again I… I want a decent master for a change. I had never dared to hope… I… please Remus, if you enter the Rites with me… I… I know I am not much of a prize but… please…" Severus looked down, braking eye contact with the other man, trying to hide his shame. He'd promised himself he'd not act like this. He'd promised that if the opportunity ever rose again he would not beg. Taking a deep breath the tried not to notice how much his hands were shaking, he did not look up at the other man.

Remus made his decision then, he took a deep breath and placed the leather collar around Severus neck. When he fastened the latch, the collar glowed blue once and then went quiet again, looking harmless, Severus was crying. "Thank you" he whispered, "Thank you, thank you…"

Remus smiled and touched his hair, caressing it. "Do you have more women underwear?" he asked, deciding to change the subject for now.

"Yes" Severus nodded but kept his eyes cast, ashamed of his tears.

"Wear it for me. Under your robes"

He looked up at Remus with bleary eyes and whispered, "Always". The pair went back to bed, Remus mindful of Severus' injured arm, and after a bit of shifting and adjusting to the other's presence they fell asleep, both planning, dreading and anticipating the actions needed to complete the Animal Rites they had just bound themselves to.

TBC…

PS: Review, review, review… (said in a hypnotic voice).


	2. Chapter 2

_**Warnings and disclaimers**_** are all listed in the first chapter but it doesn't hurt to remind you all that this is a slash fic, where I'm making use of characters that do not belong to me and with whom I make no money whatsoever. They will be involved in activities such as multiple partner sex, a modicum of BDSM, mention of psychological torture and suffering plus a less than stable mind in some cases. I do not follow JK Rowling's storyline because I stopped worshiping her once she killed Severus so those of you who are cannon freaks be very afraid of my AU and slightly OOC story.**

**I would also like to remind you all that you're not obligated to read this, so if you don't like any of the stuff mentioned above, don't read it. Yes, the stuff I write is nasty but the only difference between you and me is that I admit to my thoughts and write them down. No hard feelings.**

**For my lovely readers who have reviewed me (or not), thank you for your support and I'm sorry it took so long for this to be posted. I know it's short but don't be discouraged, the next chapter is almost finished and shall be posted soon. Thank you all for your patience and I hope you enjoy!**

**Stalling… or, setting things right**

Severus stood in front of the bathroom mirror despite all the pain looking at it brought to him and stared at his neck in amazement. The collar around it befit him like he was born to wear it and, in his mind, in many ways he had been born to wear it. Thinking back on his previous master he felt immensely lucky that not only had he been claimed one more time, but this time it was by a decent wizard. Somebody who had no hidden agenda, no megalomaniac plans to rule the world and kill half its population, somebody who had promised not to abuse him. His hands shook and he tore his eyes away from the reflection before they could wander up to his face, he was too glad to let the sight ruin his day. He sat on the toilet lid and spread his legs to examine between his legs, he pulled the rune from between them and immediately felt overwhelmed by hunger. Glancing up to check that Remus was still sleeping in the bedroom Severus lowered the glamour spell over jewel and revealed an appetite suppressant rune instead of the protection rune it appeared to be. Working fast he renewed the maintenance spell on it and carefully placed it back behind his sac, placing the glamour back in place, the hunger subsided and he sighed relieved.

From the age six, when his father had first made him swallow his come right after he'd abused his mother in front of him, Severus had developed a growing aversion for food. After his first case of malnutrition followed by a severe beating and a prolonged stay at the hospital, which then led to his mother's death, Severus had looked for alternative ways of disguising his lack of interest for food, together with the impairing effects not eating had on the body. Decades of study had led him to this particular rune which, coupled with a few of his best nutrient potions kept him alive and well for years, before he collapsed and was forced to eat something. Funny enough, most of the potions he'd developed for his personal use tended to look clear and viscous always reminding him of his father's bitter seed.

Thinking back he knew that many of his queerer habits had developed from that time, such as his liking of women's underwear, his father had made him dress in some of his late mother's pieces and that was the only time when he'd get a modicum of appreciation from him. Ultimately he knew that his need for a master, for somebody to guide him had come from that time as well, back then it had been so much easier to let everything go and put the responsibility on his father's back. The years Severus had spent as Voldemort's slave had been horrible, but the thought of being owned, even by a psycho such as him, had been a respite when faced with the bitterness around his life.

After all that, being without a master for so long had been torture to him. Now, the mere thought of being owned by Remus, a wizard he had secretly desired for a long time, was enough to make him forget caution and in his haste to start running a bath turn around facing the full length of the mirror. The image of himself, of his scrawny body and his gaunt face caused him to gasp. When shaving, he usually avoided looking at the whole reflexion, choosing to focus on small parts instead, for years never facing the reality of his utter ugliness. Now it was like a cold water bucket had fallen over his head and he stood there, frozen, his eyes staring in revulsion at his hollow stomach, his yellowed skin, his protruding bones. Severus sobbed,

Looking away he decided the bath water was ready, last night's activities had left him tired and pleasantly aching but behind it all he could still smell piss on his skin, even if it was faint. The water was divine and the relaxing potion he'd diluted on it was working miracles on his stiff and swollen neck. He took great care not to wet his left arm, holding it outside the tub rim to clean the wound and redress the bandage after he was done with the rest of his body.

He clenched his butt a bit and moaned, still feeling the butt plug Remus had pressed there after… after _claiming _him. He did not remove it. Remus had not given him specific orders about it and he didn't want to displease the man so soon in the game. Rinsing his hair one handed took longer than he expected but with a bit of magic he managed to leave the bathtub and dry himself with no mishaps. Changing the bandages was a different matter entirely, since there was a limit to how much healing magic one could direct at their own wound he was struggling to clean the bite one handed when Remus entered the room, yawning and blinking sleepily, saving him from the embarrassing predicament. With bed hair and still a bit groggy from sleep he looked positively endearing to Severus who hid a smile.

"What are you doing?" he asked, blinking a few more times and focusing on Severus, "Merlin Severus, couldn't you just have asked for help?" He muttered and wordlessly aciod his wand from the bedroom. He had the wound dressed in no time, but the string of complaints didn't stop once he was finished.

Severus was weary at first, thinking maybe he'd done something to displease his new Master, but after a moments observation he noticed telltale signs of a chronicle case of morning grouchiness. "Who'd have thought" he mused out loud, "That the cheery werewolf was not much of a morning person?"

Remus stopped abusing the toothpaste tube and glared at the amused man, "Shut up pet, get dressed and go fetch me some coffee"

Severus smiled at the lack of sting in the sleep roughed voice, "Yes Master" he turned to leave the toilet but stopped when the other man reached for him. His hand shot unerringly between Severus' arsecheeks and prodded around until it got hold of the plug, pulling it out without warning and causing Severus to moan low in his throat and spread his legs hopefully. "Slut" Remus muttered, aiming a spell to clean his insides, but doing nothing further but give him a chaste kiss on the lips. "Morning breath" he lifted the toothpaste apologetic.

Severus nodded, needy but not offended at being teased. He went back into the room and found a fresh change of clothes Remus had put on the bed for him. He felt his heart fill with warmth at the caring gesture and fought to hold back a goofy smile he knew didn't become him. Once dressed, he went to the kitchen to prepare Remus some much needed coffee, leaving the rest to the castle's house elves. Nursing a cup of tea in his hands he tried not to think of the upcoming stages necessary to complete the Rites, he hoped Remus would show as much level headedness as he expected of him, but examining the odds, Severus decided not to complain, after all what were his chances of being claimed again by a wizard as decent as Remus?

"Woolgathering pet?" Remus lifted an eyebrow and made a beeline for the coffee pot, pouring a generous amount in a large mug and gulping it down black and bitter. It was Severus' turn to lift an eyebrow, "Not a very British habit is it?" he teased and watched closely as the minutes went by and the caffeine started taking effect on Remus' body, his expression relaxing, hands loosening their strong grip on the mug.

"Blame it on werewolf metabolism" he said, "And this magical coffee the blasted elves supply all over the school"

Severus nodded, he was well acquainted with the elves' "improvements", especially on the enhancement of food properties they thought beneficial. The Hogwarts brand of magical coffee was well known all over Britain as one of the strongest and purest coffees around. "Wait until they hear about the benefits of decaf" He said, thinking about something he'd heard from a muggle-born student once.

"Merlin forbid!" Remus exclaimed horrified, winking at Severus. He looked much more relaxed now and started looking around for the food tray the elves had left, finding a plate and filling it with much more food than Severus thought he ate per month. "Werewolf metabolism" Remus explained once he saw his disapproving look.

"Indeed" he muttered, deciding to forego breakfast altogether, Remus could eat for the both of them for all he cared, he'd just had a vitamin potion the day before yesterday anyhow.

"Not hungry?" Remus lifted a piece of toast in offer.

"I've already eaten" he lied and turned around to avoid being caught gagging. He had no problem lying to people, but he soon found out that lying to Lupin filled him with regret and guilt and it had nothing to do with the Rites either, he was sure and speaking of the Rites, "Actually, I was thinking about the Consummation Circle…"

Remus lowered his piece of toast and nodded, "Yes, I thought you might want to talk about it as soon as possible"

"I… talk?" he blinked, confused.

"Sure, we have to decide on the seven people after all" Remus shrugged and picked his toast up again.

Severus was taken aback for a while then he said, "You're going to… _discuss _these things with me?" he sounded scandalized.

"Unless you'd rather not…?" The werewolf took a tentative bite of his toast and raised his eyes to better observe Severus reaction, he had not expected this.

"No I…" Severus cleared his throat, "Of course I'd rather talk about it! I'd just assumed you'd take all the decisions"

"I will if you don't want to participate, but I'd rather you be comfortable with every choice. I am your master Severus, not a sadistic torturer"

"What a coincidence, my previous master _was_ a sadistic torturer" he muttered quietly.

Remus put his toast down again and took on a commanding voice, "I told you I would not tolerate comparisons. I understand you need to adapt to new rules and new orders, but I will not hear you call that man your master again, do you hear me?_ I_ am your Master now, the only one you'll ever have!" Remus said, not angrily but with such seriousness Severus felt humbled and warmed by his words at the same time.

"Yes Master, I'm sorry"

Golden eyes observed Severus' for a long time, assessing the situation. "Come here pet", he said finally, patting his lap indicating Severus should sit there. The tall wizard stood and lowered himself gingerly over Remus' legs, amazed for a moment when the kitchen chair didn't give under their weight.

Remus reached forward and pulled Severus' head down, claiming his lips on a bruising kiss. His tongue probed and demanded entrance into his pet's pliant mouth at the same time as he flicked his wand arm and spelled Severus free of his clothing still letting the wounded arm be, resting on its sling as it'd been before.

Holding onto Severus' right wrist he started licking the tattooed arm, closely admiring how the wild roses shivered magically under an imaginary wind. "Tell me about this" he ordered, between licks, indicating to Severus that he wanted to know about how the tattoo had come to be.

Severus moaned low on his throat and rubbed his naked body against Remus' scruffy clothes, "I… it was after the Dark Lor… after Voldemort" He corrected under Remus' stern look, "fell. The mark had burnt itself away with him and I thought… I wanted to be marked with something… nice… something… not dark and gruesome" He sighed in pleasure as Remus started licking the little nook in the junction between his forearm and elbow, the soft skin sensitive there. He tried again, "I know roses are supposed to be feminine… but… it was hard to find a pattern that didn't… that didn't bring me any bad memories or feelings when I looked at it…"

Remus nodded and kept to his exploration, until he reached the end of the design at Severus' right shoulder. "What about the jewelry?"

"I… did them myself… I needed the pain, when it became too much, the need to… would overwhelm me and I… I didn't want to do anything drastic like start cutting myself so… Albus suggested it. He gave me that idea and introduced me to a BM-wizard, after he taught me the basics, I bought a needle and did the rest myself…"

"And how do you manage it now?" Remus asked.

"Manage what?"

"The need for pain"

"Oh… I don't… I…" Severus couldn't answer this. He knew that if he wanted this to work he'd have to tell Remus about his eating disorder, but he was just too ashamed of it to bring it up so soon. "Master… please, I can't, not now" he decided that pleading was better than lying and was relieved to see that Remus didn't push it, for now.

"I want you to remove the one in your ear" He said instead, "Leave the rest"

Severus felt a pang at that, to be denied something so simple as an earring, but at the same time he knew he was being tested; tested to trust Remus with his care and he knew that a small gesture like this spoke volumes, so he obeyed, leaving the discarded jewel on the table under Remus' indication.

"Now, come sit with me in the living room and help me think who should be our first choice…" He said, spelling Severus clothes back on in the process.

"Well, in fact… I mean…" Severus rubbed the back of his neck, touching his claiming mark self-consciously, "I have someone I'd like to be part of the Consummation Circle"

"And who might that be?" Remus asked curiously pleased at Severus forwardness. He sat down on one of the large chaise longs in the living room and indicated that the other man should sit beside him. Making Severus recline against the cushions he pulled his bare feet up and started rubbing them gently.

"The Headmaster" He answered quietly and tried in vain to hold back a moan at the delicious contact with his feet.

Remus said nothing for a while; he just nodded at Severus request, seeming to think about it. "I had thought you might want that" he said after a while and Severus flushed, looking down as if ashamed, "Don't worry pet, I understand your admiration for Albus and I know how much you'd like to please him…"

"Master… I… feel nothing for…"

Remus smiled and touched Severus ankles, rubbing his hands against them in soothing motions, "Relax Severus, this is part of the ritual, you don't have to be afraid I'll become suspicious every time you give a suggestion about the Consummation, there are six wizards to pick yet…"

"Six?" Severus lifted his head from the cushions to observe Remus' strong hands on his legs.

"Yes well, I agree with you. Not choosing Albus for this would be stupid, not to mention he always liked to keep some of the most obscure wizard traditions."

Severus nodded, "Yes. I discussed it with him once, when… when I came to my senses about… the Dark I mean, about Voldemort. He was saddened that dark wizards would use tradition to bind their followers and sully it with their bad intent."

Remus rode Severus' robes up to his hips in a sudden motion, revealing a semi-hard cock trapped under white silk knickers, "Then it's settled, I'll fire-call Albus this afternoon and schedule a meeting" he said, pulling Severus legs up to his shoulders and holding the knickers away from the still loosened arsehole. "I am going to fuck you raw now" he said, freeing his own hard cock from inside his trousers. "I want you to lift your hands above your head, away from your body, you're not allowed to touch any part of yourself under any circumstances. You will focus on my pleasure and my pleasure only. You will _not_ come"

His stern rough voice resounded inside Severus' head and he nodded, lifting his hands up and holding onto the chaise for dear life as Remus forced his cock inside of him, his body lowering over his and pushing Severus legs up to his chest, the knees almost touching the shoulders. They both grunted and Remus started pounding away, ordering Severus to clench his arse this way and that.

Remus was not aiming for his pleasure, he knew that but the other man couldn't help touching his prostate now and then, making Severus cock grow completely hard inside the constricting lingerie. His hands shook with the effort of holding into the chaise and not roaming down his body to pump fiercely at his needy cock.

At last Remus gave a final snap of his hips and started coming inside of Severus, causing him to lose his control and bring his hands down, desperately. They never reached his cock though, since Remus growled and held them back in place brutally. "Stay pet" he ordered again, his voice betraying anger and disappointment at Severus lack of control.

They stayed quiet for a few minutes more, Remus' bulky body crashing Severus down on the chaise, until the werewolf pulled his flagging cock out of his arse with a slick pop. Spelling it clean he closed his pants and looked into Severus eyes, saying nothing until the other man broke down crying and begging, "I'm sorry Master, please, please punish me!"

Remus grabbed his wand from his trouser pocket and spelled a ball gag in Severus mouth, shutting him up immediately. Standing up he pulled Severus by the hair, dragging him from the chaise and shoving him down on the floor, kneeling. "You shame me Severus, what is this mockery of obedience? Do you think I'll fire-call Albus now, after I've seen how undisciplined you've become?" He spoke in low dangerous tones, circling Severus like a preying wolf circled a scared rabbit. "I think it's time you remembered how to behave but don't worry I'll help you remember" That said, he banished Severus robes and conjured an arm cuff and bound his good arm stretched painfully behind his back, completely unable to move in that position. Looking down he noticed Severus cock still trapped inside the white knickers, but did nothing about it. "Stay" he said, "and don't move until I come back for you. I'll give you some time, a few hours maybe, to think about if you really want to behave properly from now on, or not"

Remus left Severus kneeling on the carpet, full of objects around him to rub his cock against, and a free, if hurt hand, but he knew that that was the appeal of it all. That was his true test of restraint. Severus' attempt at lowering his hands had been nothing, but this, this was trying, this would show him if he was willing to go to the end with the Ritual, to commit himself to Remus fully, completely. He decided to wait until the evening to go back to the room but during that time he started writing the list of names of those wizards that might accept the invitation to enter the Animal Rites as their Consummation Circle.

Truth be told, Remus had had to think twice that night before offering Severus place the collar around his neck. For him, as a werewolf at least, the claiming he'd done before had been enough to ensure Severus' was his, but the other man had needed more, he'd needed to be stripped of everything that made him a wizard before society, that's what the Rites consisted of. In the past, when social rules had been stricter, they were usually a way to ensure a rich and pureblooded wizard could bond with a lower level wizard, a half-blood or even a magical creature, dark or otherwise, without both of them losing their acceptance (as little as that word might apply to some of the people involved) in society.

The wizard with the better standing would create a magical sign of obedience for the other, usually a collar that would after become the legal sign for such unions. The Supplicant, as they were usually called, became then little more than a pet, not even a familiar (thus the name Animal Rites) and was stripped from all their rights (had they had any before the bond) and depended solely on the Giver's will. Most of the time though, due to the nature of the bond, the lower party would be abused and explored as a legalized slave and as time went by the Ministry started to impose restrictions on the nature of the Rites that lowered their abusive appeal so much that soon pure blooded wizards forgot all about them and chose other, subtler forms of abusing their peers.

Remus and Severus had entered the modern Rites though and to make everything legal and recognized by the Ministry they had to comply with some of the stipulations they'd set up so long ago. First and foremost, seven male wizards had to be witnesses and to some degree, participants on the first stage of the Rites, which meant that both, the Supplicant and the Giver were expected to share their intended relationship with _all_ third parties. The good side was that apart from being male, there were no restrictions on the wizards to be called for the Consummation Circle. This was probably how Voldemort got his idea for a Death Eater inner and outer circle, he'd bond his followers with differing degrees of Animal Rites, forming a web that in the end was so deeply involved with the others, they had no way to escape, either the Rites, or their obligations as Consummators.

Remus sighed, jotting down the last name he'd thought about and bringing the list with him to discuss with Severus, once the man was able to discuss matters that is, since right now he was a sobbing racket practically lying on the living room carpet. Severus' knees had probably given out long ago and he lay stretched on the floor, his shoulders shaking with sobs and the effort not to rub himself raw against the rough carpet threads. So lost was he in his despair, he barely noticed when Remus entered the room. The werewolf sat on the chaise again and spoke to Severus in low tones, "Stand up pet"

Severus startled and, still crying, struggled to stand up without the helping balance of his hands. Once on his feet he listened to Remus' next order, "You have behaved well, I hope this little reminder has helped you to reacquaint yourself with your place"

Severus nodded vigorously anxious not to anger Remus again.

"I will let you come now, but you'll have to do it without touching your cock. I will lend you my mouth. You're allowed to thrust against it until you come" that said, Remus reached for Severus' franticly thrusting hips and removed the sodden underwear carefully, delighting in the pained cries coming out of his pet's gagged mouth.

He adjusted himself on the sofa, so Severus would be able to access his mouth without much acrobatics, and opened it, waiting for his pet to make use of him. In a moment Severus was thrusting his cock against Remus' relaxed mouth, his hips snapping faster than Remus' thought possible and his frustrated sounds at the lack of sucking on Remus part filling the room, until finally, finally, Severus gave his load up, more out of exhaustion than of pleasure, and slid to the floor, chest heaving, eyes still wet with tears.

Remus smiled at the beautiful image he made there, on the floor, crying and broken, humiliated and still, somehow so dignified in his pain and punishment his demeanor seemed to scream for more. He pulled the lax body up removing the gag and proceeding to make Severus swallow his own seed through Remus' lips. The man obeyed, moaning in a mix of pleasure and shame, too good to be true. Remus pulled him up flush against his body and releasing his swollen reddened lips murmured into the sweaty neck, "Are you ready to submit to me now pet?"

"Yes master" he answered, his voice rough. "I need to".

"Good. Having a werewolf master is hard Severus, there's a reason deeper than social standing for the Rites to traditionally hold Dark Creatures as the Supplicants"

"I… I know master" Severus buried his face against Remus neck to hide his tears.

"We get drunk on power very easily, very easily indeed… I, I don't want anything bad to happen to you, I want you to tell me if… if someday I become abusive" Remus pulled his chin up and made a point of looking straight at the black pair of eyes, "You will tell me Severus, I won't have you suffering more than you need to with this and that is an order"

In that moment, despite all the pain and humiliation that filled his afternoon, Severus was reminded of the hurt and despair in Remus' eyes the night after the shackle incident and was faced with the reality that Remus also fought against an inner violence, something he'd be hard pressed to get rid of, instead of cherishing it and turning it against himself like Severus had always done. In that moment he truly understood the sacrifice Remus had made, entering the Rites with him and giving in to his inner beast to an extend he had not until that moment in his life. "Thank you master" he said, not aware that Remus couldn't have known exactly what he was thanking him for.

Remus only nodded, and pulled the other man closer to him, caressing his sweaty body, loosening the cuffs on his arms and rubbing blood back into them.

"A… about the Circle…" Severus started, but Remus shut him up with a gentle kiss over bruised lips, "It's fine pet, we have enough to think about as it is, let's talk about it tomorrow"

For once Severus agreed wholeheartedly and decided to enjoy the caring hands roaming over his skin, soothing his pains and fears, his inner turmoil calmed down for the day he let himself be lulled to sleep in his master's powerful arms.


End file.
